Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? / Aemond Targaryen / House of the Dragon

20. Breaks His Favorite Toys

You're losing me / Ned Stark / Sandor clegane out now!

"Hes off. A brothel no doubt. I prefer it when hes gone." Avalon assured. Ty cleaned off the cut on her brow kneeling before her. Her face pinched at the sting.

"Why did he hit you?"

"He didn't hit me it was more a shove." Avalon corrected

"Everytime i see your cuts and bruises it makes my blood boil Avalon." Ty said through gritted teeth

"I have grown used to the constant pain. The ache." Avalon whispered

"You shouldn't have to." Ty demanded.

"He was mad that rhaenyra had another son and i have yet to give him a second son." Avalon admitted.

"Aspen is perfection." Ty countered kissing her cheek.

"She really is." Avalon agreed softly.

"Im going to kill him Avalon."

"He is my husband."

"He is a monster that enjoys using you and hurting you just because he knows he can but he cant." Ty demanded. "Avalon im your guard and im helpless to help you to save you from him. Please let me help you."

''They made wings for it, apparently, and a tail.'' Alicent remarked pacing the room.

''The lad shouldn't have been so credulous.'' Viserys told her nonchalantly.

''He's a child." Alicent reminded him

''He thought they'd happened upon some wild unnamed dragon and lured it to the Dragonpit?'' Viserys countered with a laugh.

''Your grandsons are a menace.'' Alicent spat.

''They're more children than he is.'' Viserys assured.

''Th-They're savages."

"When are we leaving?" Daemon yawned out.

"Not enjoying the fruits of the capital?" Davina countered giving him a pointed look he glanced down and fixed his pants giving her a sheepish grin. "Pig."

"Come on. You were busy-"

"Was I?" Davina sassed. "Since when is that a good excuse about why you found a brothel instead of your wife?"

"I saw avalons man there on my way out." Daemon added. Davina scowled at the thought.

"If viserys knew-"

"He wouldnt do anything he doesnt do anyhing." Daemon corrected. "I should be king."

"You would burn westeros." Davina countered

"We could burn it together." Daemon suggested.

''I have raised this matter before and you forbade me to speak of it, so I held my tongue." Alicent reminded him and Viserys sighed.  ''To have one child like that is a mistake, to have three is an insult, to the throne, to you, to House Velaryon and the match you battled so hard to make for her. Not to mention decency itself.'' Alicent told him stiffly. "Avalon had been nothing but proper. Her children are wonderful. They dont torment your children, they are kind and gentle and legitimate and yet-"

''I had a black mare once. Black like a raven.'' Viserys told her calmly.  ''One day, she escaped her pasture and the neighboring stallion sired a foal on her. The stallion was as silver as the moon on a winter's night and the foal, when it was born, chestnut.'' Viserys told her with a chuckle ''Just the most unremarkable brown horse you ever saw. Nature is a thing of mysterious works. ''

"He compared rhaenyras children to horses." Criston decided. "Her boys." He clarified

"Yes." Alicent agreed stiffly.

"Maeve is a sweet girl. She want in on Aemonds displeasure. She adores him. Both your boys." Criston added.

"She is sweet like avalon. She is nothing like rhaenyra." Alicent agreed.

'A pig?" Avalon questioned holding aemond close. Skylar nodded moving to aspen who was drawing a picture of her little dragon.

"Oh honey," avalon kissed the top of aemonds head.

"I want a dragon auntie avalon." Aemond whimpered.

''The pig. Was it your plot?' Alicent demanded not caring for her sons embarrassment.

''No... it was Jace and... uh... it-it was the two of them. I couldn't be sure.'' Aegon offered still anxiously covering himself.

''Aemond is your brother.''

''Well, he's a twat.'' Aegon countered.

"Aemond is perfection. For aegon to do such a thing was monsterous." Maeve decided. "And you two! Whats the matter with you?"

"Sorry Maevy." Luke whispered.

"Aegon said it would be fun." Hace countered in their defense. "We didnt mean to-"

"If i were in charge i would ground you both." Maeve warned

"But you are not so we are not." Jace countered.

''We are family. You may cuff him about as you wish at home, but in the world... we must defend our own.'' Alicent hissed.

''It was funny.'' Aegon admitted with a laugh.

''Do you think Rhaenyra's sons will be your playthings forever? As things stand... Rhaenyra will ascend the throne and Maeve Targaryen will be her heir.'' Alicent reminded him.

''So?'' Aegon questioned but Alicent grabbed his face holding tight to his ears, he cringed back in pain but she didn't yield. ''Ugh!''

''You are nearly a man-grown. How is it that you can be so shortsighted? If Rhaenyra comes into power... your very life could be forfeit. Aemond's as well. She could move to cut off any challenge to her succession.'' Alicent hissed her grip tight on him.

''Then I won't challenge...'' Aegon began.

''You are the challenge!'' Alicent shouted in his face. ''You are the challenge, Aegon! Simply by living and breathing! You are the King's firstborn son... and what they know, what everyone in the realm knows in their blood and in their bones... is that one day, you will be our King.'' She released his face as she stood up and calmly turned to the door, Aegon stared back at his mother nervously.  ''Get dressed.''

"Oh no, Draegon!" Daemon shouted. Draegon came running up he came to a halt seeing what verithmor had done.

"My dragon only breaks his favorite toys." He offered with a shrug.

"Thats a dragon trainer." Daemon corrected.

"Yeah. He loves to rip them apart." Draegon agreed.

"Maybe we dont tell your mother." Daemon decided

"Good idea... what do we do with the body- op nevermind." Draegon countered as the dragon trainer went up in flames before getting devoured.